Combined cigarette case and lighter



y 1932. c. GARDNER 7 1,857,243 I COMBINED CIGARETTE CASE AND LIGHTER Filed June 18, 1930 6 Sheets-Sheet l gwuentoz 511272177121 6 yardner May-10, 1932- c. GARDNER 1,857,243

. COMBINED CIGARETTE CASE AND LIGHTER Filed June 18, 1930 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 gwoentoo (amazing? faidner dttoweq May 10, 1932.

C. GARDNER COMBINED CIGARETTE CASE AND LIGHTER Filed June 18, 1950 3 Sheets-Sheet gwuentot Patented May 10, 1932 PATENT OFFICE CUMMINGS GARDNER, 0F LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA COMBINED CIGARETTE CASE AND LIGHTER Application filed June 18, 1930. Serial No. 462,024.

The present invention relates to improvements in combined cigarette cases and lighters wherein provision is made for dispensing a single cigarette and automatically lighting the same when moved to a dispensing position.

One of the important objects of the present invention is to provide a combined cigarette case and lighter that includes a pivoted dispensing unit formovement below the cigarette container, means being associated with the dispensing unit for normally closing the open lower end of the cigarette container, said means being moved to an inoperative position simultaneously with the positioning of the dispensing. unit in a cigarette receiving position.

A further and important object resides in the provision of a structure of the above mentioned character wherein the electric circuit to the electric igniting unit is automatically closed simultaneously with the movement of the dispensing unit to a cigarette receiving position, additional means being associated with the dispensing unit for forcing one end of the cigarette against the igniting unit to facilitate the lighting of the cigarette.

Still another object is to provide a combined cigarette case and lighter of the above mentioned character that includes means for returning the sliding pusher member to its normal position when the pivoted cigarette dispensing unit is returned toits dispensing position, cooperating means being provided between the sliding pusher member and the cigarette case for effecting the outward slid.- ing movement of the pusher member when the dispensing unit is moved to a cigarette receiving position.

Another important object is to provide a combined cigarette case and lighter which will at all times be positive and efiicient in its operation, the same being further simple in construction, inexpensive, strong and durable and further well adapted to the purposes for which it is designed.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.

In the accompanying drawings wherein like reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the combined cigarette case and lighter embodying 56 my invention, parts being broken away.

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view taken approximately on the line 22 of Figure 1, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 3 is a longitudinal vertical sectional 60 view through the combined cigarette case and lighter showing the same mounted on a base and having a transformer or reduction coil arranged in the base when the lighter is used in connection with commercial power of the conventional 110 volt type.

Figure 4 is a horizontal sectional view taken approximately on the line 4.-4 of Figure 3 looking downwardly.

Figure 5 is a rear elevation of the device, with parts broken away to more clearly disclose the construction of the sliding pusher member. v

Figure 6 is a vertical sectional view taken approximately 011 the line 66 of Figure 3 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 7 is a detail perspective view of the pusher member per se, and

Figure 8 is a detail vertical sectional View taken on the line 88 of Figure 4 looking in the direction of the arrows.

In the drawings, wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown the preferred embodiment of my invention the numerall designates a substantially rectangular shaped case 35 which is open at its top and front sides. At one end of the case there is located an ash receiver unit that includes a housing 3 open at its top and within the upper portion of which is removably fitted an ash tray 4. A removable cover 5 is provided for the open upper end of the housing and the ash tray cover is in turn formedwith an opening 6 through which ashes and cigarette butts are deposited into the ash tray 4.

Cooperating with the upper open side of the case l is the cigarette container 7, the same including a front wall, end walls, a top walland a downwardly sloping bottom, said sloping bottom portion being designated by the numeral 8. Upon referring to Figures 1 and 2 there will further be observed that the inner edges of the end walls are cut-away as at 9 for a purpose to be presently described.

- The container 7 is pivotally supported between the inner side wall of the housing 3 and the opposite end wall of the case 1 as at 10 and when the container 7 is swung to the position shown in the dotted lines in Figure 2, the same may be filled with a supply of cigarettes.

Cooperating with the inclined bottom 8 of the container 7 is the angular-1y disposed plate 11 that is hingedly associated at its lower edge with a dispensing unit, the construction of which will be presently described in detail. 23

Laterally extending pintles 12 extend from the ends of the plate 11 at the upper corners thereof for operation within the cut-out portions 9 when the container 7 is in its vertical position in the case 1. As is shown very clearly in Figure 2, the angularly disposed plate 11 will cooperate with the lower edge of the inclined bottom 8 to prevent the discharge of the cigarette from the container into the dispensing unit and also will tend to prevent the entrance of dust and other foreign matter into the cigarette container.

The dispensing unit'forming a salient part of the presentinvention includes a strip of sheet metal that is bent back upon itself to form a vertically disposed plate 13 and an angularly disposed cigarette receiving'channel 14 that is open at its respective ends, the intermediate portion of said cigarette receiving channel being also cut-away to facilitate theready and easy removal of a lighted cigarette therefrom. The cigarette receiving channel is arranged along the'upper edge portion of the plate 13 while the lower edge of the plate 13 is rolled to accommodate the shaft 15, the dispensing unit being fixedly secured on the shaft for swinging movement therewith.

The shaft 15 extends through the respective ends of the case 1 and secured on the outer ends of the shaft are actuating handles or levers 16. The lower edge of the closure plate 11 is hingedly connected to the cigarette dispensing unit as at 17 so that when the cigarette unit is swung on its pivot, the angularly disposed plate 11 will also be caused to operate whereby when the cigarette receiving channel 14L is positioned horizontally below the cigarette container 7, in a cigarette receiving position, the plate 11 will have moved rearwardly sufficiently away from the sloping bottom 8 to permit a single cigarette to drop into the channel 14. A coil-spring 18 is associated with the shaft 15 and the case 1 for normally holding the parts as shown in the full line position.

Located within the lower portion of the housing 3 is an electric lighting unit 19, the

; inner wall of the housing being formed with an opening 20 against which the heating unit is disposed and this opening and heating unit are preferably arranged adjacent one end of the cigarette receiving channel 14 as shown yery clearly in Figures 1 and 2 of the drawlugs.

The switch for closing the circuit to the lighting unit includes a contact 21 that is fixedly associated with the unit 19 and coopcrating with the stationary contact 21 is a spring arm contact 22. The contact 22 is normally held out of engagement with the contact 21 and for the purpose of moving the contact 22 into engagement with the contact 21 there is carried by the shaft 15 a cam \Vhen the present invention is used in a house or building where .con'nnercial power of the 110 volt type is employed, it is deemed advisable to employ a transformer or reduction coil such as is shown at 24 and this reduction coil or transformer is hidden in a suitable base 25 uponwhich the case and housing are adapted to rest. However, when the device is used in conjunction with batteries the base and transformer need not be used.

Attention is now directed to Figure 7 of the drawings wherein there is disclosed a pusher member 26 that also constitutes an important part of the present invention and which push-er member is employed to force one end of the cigarette against the lighting unit to insure the lighting of the cigarette. The pusher member includes an elongated plate 27 that is slidably arranged on the rear face of the plate 18 of the dispensing unit, suitable guides 28 being provided for cooperation with the upper edge of the plate 27 while the lower edge of this plate is guided between the inturned lower edge of the plate 13 and the central portion thereof as suggested very clearly in the drawings. A forwardly extending finger 29 is formed at one end of the plate 27 and struck-out from the plate 27 adjacent the finger 29 is the tongue 30 that is adapted to cooperate with the stationary arm 31 when the dispensing unit is swung rearwardly so that the member 27 will slideoutwardly away from the housing 3.

A retractile coil or straight spring 32 is connected at one end to the dispensing unit and at its opposite end to a prong 33 struckout from the intermediate portion of the plate 27. This spring normally holds the sliding pusher member in its innermost position and also tends to move the finger 29 against the outer end of the cigarette deposited in the channel 14 so that the other end of the cigarette will be forcibly held against the electric lighting unit 19 to insure the lighting of the cigarette.

The operation of my improved cigarette case and lighter may be briefly stated as follows. Formally the parts are arranged as shown in F igures 1, 2 and a. When either lien-252s sliding plate 27 will be moved outwardly due to the cooperation of the tongue 30 and the arm 31 so that the spring 32 will be placed under tension.

When pressure on either lever is released, the spring 18 will return the dispensing unit and the hinged plate to their normal position and at the same time, the circuit to the electric lighting unit will be broken. The channel Ll will then be moved to its dispensing position and the spring 32 will cause the plate 27 and the finger 29 to move toward the housing 3 and the finger 29 will force the cigarette in the channel toward the housing 3 so that the inner end of the cigarette will be forced against the heated unit 19 thus insuring the lighting of the cigarette after which the lighted cigarette may be readily and easily removed from the channel 14.

The container 7 may be refilled whenever necessary by simply swinging the same outwardly to the position shown in the dotted lines in Figure 2. A device of this character can be mounted in any convenient position accessible to a user and is particularly valuable to automobiles. A combined cigarette case and lighter of the above mentioned char acter will at all times be positive and etficient in its operation and due to its simplicity, can be constructed and sold at a very low cost.

While I have shown the preferred embodiment of the invention, it is to be understood that minor changes in the size, shape and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention what I claim is:

1. In a cigarette dispenser of the class del scribed, comprising a cigarette container, the bottom thereof being open, a slidable vertically movable closure for the open bottom of the container, a swinging dispensing unit mounted below the container and including a cigarette receiving channel normally disposed in a dispensing position. said closure member being hingedly connected with the dispensing unit for movement horizontally to an inoperative position when the cigarette receiving channel is positioned below the bottom of the container to receive a cigarette therefrom.

"angu'larly adisposed v "thev container, a; pivoted e ietef-i ftte ini iat veive i 10f the tainer, a,

: vitln neans :tor; receiving a; sin Le -,-x\ihen,s\vung toone position; ac 3:101: swin ging the .dispenjsingauniti s .rette therein-to position' i ir :line {W11 l1-. niting: means/awayi from Ft-he. .cont ai'ne r,

1 2: a igarette ispens s -Q. ;the e ;s e scribed comprising. a cigarettemo tamer, the botton' i hQr Q bQ -.OP

.vertically' an houz ven al y amiab e desirefo h e n bottom @of the contains}, a ,swingin (listen ngi-un imount b low eree telet e n aciga ettetece nnaehanne m y; ep se in a i ps e linepe'sit 1 closure amen rb ing n s y ,nnj

with th i ispen maun t-tqa ibvement 0 ii 1 i p ati eepe it n. ith n he c gar tt eivina chan-DQL-i p s ione below" e be tom-.;ot the container;to receive, i the friomea clkguide mee -b t 'wi ti up Per pe ticniqtthehii e d e e u e iiiemb nd so t e ntainer t --r mit-verti 1.tmeve i iS i g cl sure, thes o iu ,.mem ribfifis:. posed at an incline. i 1 1:3, 1 combin igare te. compr sing a cigarette; container, 5 a (I dispensing.nmtarranged below we container 1 lii c udi gat g r tters ina-Channel no. mal y i pasedt te emmnni tie igw th the cigarette container, and in; a ,dispensing position, -1neansfor. ;actu,ating the dispensing 111 -119 po iti n theechan e sbe n the 9ea-i ert t i e e vc. a. g rett eel c r v' f ling-.- me ns ateo en et hs. n ai er a iaen h d p n i g in it: f 'l'isn i is i ie end. o l c g rette res ngn he! channe when-th l t er isdfim 1:: -,-cd ispen rosi iom a d-an. uto atical y. tua ectsnue er m nib r ite a e y e ns te tl rec y t the dispens ng, uni efior ioreingst eejec ed .eigarette'against the igni i g-means In acombinedicigarette.case and li I a. cigarette. fcontainer open at its bottqrn, jttllfl ica 1y,.; 1; l Plateproviding a closure fo r the open bpttom of dispens ngiun t, eit- .1

"late ranged below the-container, said eloslu ,bein'glliingedly connected at its;:.10.we'r edge i 'wi'ththedispensing unit for inovementsimult-a'neously "there-with} cigarette receiving enamel "carried by'the dispens'ing unite and 51 "iioiitially disposed Queer comnaipican-on witn the" 1 ti'pen bottomf tea n li l l i x of I the ednt'aine in a diss 'i'd el'ot b'eiiig smm rearwardly and upset-a1; I o tionjivheii the chan is bottom] gf use c ntaine s it fejthi'e e dispei s'i eoinbine'd cigar arranged below the c tin-ting means the igand : means carried by the swinging dispe'nSing deposited pusher finger to their normal position when the dispensing unit is moved to a dispensing 6. In a combined cigarette case and lighter, position.

a cigarette container, a pivoted dispensing unit arranged below the container and provided with means for receiving a single cigarette when. in one position, actuating means for the dispensing unit, igniting means for the ejected cigarette arranged at one end of the dispensing unit, means carried by said dispensing unit for disposition at the other end of the. dispensing unitto move the ejected cigarette longitudinally in the dispensing unit against the igniting means, said means including a member slidable on the dispensing unit, and a cigarette engaging pushor finger projecting laterally from said slidable member.

7 In a combined cigarette case and lighter, a cigarette container, a pivoted dispensing unit arranged below the container and provided with means for receiving a single cigarette when in one position, actuating means for the dispensing unit, igniting means for the ejected cigarette arranged at one end of the dispensing unit, a member slidable on the dispensing unit, a pusher finger extending laterally from one end of said slidable member for disposition at the other end of the dispensing unit, coacting means between the dispensing unit and said slidable member for normally holding the pusher finger in its operative position, and additional means for moving the slidable member and the pusher finger to an inoperative position when said dispensing unit is moved to a position to receive a cigarette from the container, the pusher finger being automatically moved to an operative position When said dispensing unit is moved to its dispensing position.

8. In a combined cigarette case and lighter, a cigarette container, a pivoted dispensing unit arranged below the container and provided with means for receiving a single cigarette when disposed in one position, actuating means for the dispensing unit, igniting unit for the ejected cigarette arranged at one end of the dispensing unit, a plate slidable longitudinally on the dispensing unit, a pusher finger extending laterally from said plate for disposition at the other end of the dispensing unit to move the ejected cigarette longitudinally in the dispensing unit against the igniting means when said dispensing unit is moved to a dispensing position, a projection on said slidable plate, a stationary member arranged adjacent the slidable plate for cooperation with said projection for moving said plate in one direction whereby the pusher finger is disposed in an inoperative position when the dispensing unit is moved to a position for receiving a cigarette from the container, and additional means for automatically returning the slidable plate and the In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

CUMMINGS GARDNER. 

